RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 9
DAILY TELEGRAPH
14 2 FEB 1971
Cutting dated ......
When Britain leaves the Gu
THE sprawling base which has JOHN BULLOCH reports from Sharjah.
been home to thousands of
British Servicemen over the as yet another British base is dismantled
past years is beginning to look for lorn. The sense of bustle and acti
They pointed out that their popu vity which marked it in the past
1,700 strong, can move freely in
any one of the seven States. They
has gone, and the roar of planeslation of more than 200,000 was as
settle border disputes, break up
many as all the other States and
taking off and landing is heard less
they demanded some form of pro frequently. Here in Sharjah, more |
tribal fights, see that wells are
than anywhere else in the Gulf, the
properly
portional representation in the pro
maintained and take
medical help and knowledge to the
reality of the proposed British with posed Federal Assembly.
nomads along the edge of the
drawal by the end of this year be As Sheikh Mohammed bin
Mubarak,
comes apparent.
Bahrein's
Empty Quarter.
Foreign
The 35 British
Minister, told me: “Bahrein is a officers and 57 NCOs ensure the
There are still more than 5,000
impartiality of the force, a fact
British soldiers, airmen, and sailors
developed country compared with
in the Gulf, as well as 1,600 depend the other Gulf States, we have to recognised by all the Sheikhs, and
demonstrated by the Ruler of Abu
ants, but the process of disengage answer to our people, while in the
Dhabi, who insists that the Scouts
ment has begun.
other States the Rulers can agree
to anything and their people pro- should continue to patrol in his
Britain has still to announce her
bout it.” territory although he has a 2,000 intentions-Sir Alec Douglas-Home
bably will not even know about it.”
strong “ Army” of his own.
is expected to make a statement
On practical grounds, Bahrein
If a federation is formed, the
this month--but the Rulers of the also objects to the plan to build a
Trucial States have already been brand new Federal capital at a Scouts will act as the nucleus of a
told what to expect.
Federal Army, under a plan drawn
desert site on the border between
Sir William
Luce, Britain's Special Envoy, has
Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It does not up by Gen. Sir John Willoughby.
But if there is no federation the
visited each one of them to warn | want the capital itself, and thinks
that the Conservative Government I it should continue at Abu Dhabi, Scouts will have to be disbanded.
Sheikh Rashid, the Ruler of Dubai,
intends to adhere to the withdrawal
the present provisional Gulf head.
time-table laid down by the pre
has said he would be prepared to
quarters.
vious administration.
take over the Scouts himself. But
Sir William's task has also been
These two points are the osten- Dubai, with an income of about £20
sible causes of all the hold-ups in million a year, could hardly assume
to try to persuade the Sheikhs to
the way of federation. But much this extra cominitment. The six
make another effort to set up the
more important are the old rivalries other States, moreover, would be
federation they have been quarrel.
ling over for more than two years.
between the Sheikhdoms. Bahrein most unlikely to approve.
and Qatar are at loggerheads over
Unless they do achieve some form
It would, of course. still be
a tiny, barren island. Dubai fears
of union among themselves, it is
possible for Britain to continue the
its rich neighbour Abu Dhabi would
feared that a free-for-all will de
present state of affairs in theory.
dominate it in a federation. Ras al
velop in the area, with outside
In fact, the idea of British with Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al drawal has been so well advertised,
Powers vying for influence, and
the bigger States of the Coast gob
Qawain are all searching for so long, that it would be difficult
desperately for oil and will put off
bling up the little ones.
to reverse the decision. A move to
any decision to the last moment in stay would perpetuate the present
For once, everyone is agreed that the hope of finding it. .
state of indecision which has
a federation is the answer to the
Each Ruler is suspicious not only afflicted the Rulers. It will be the
problems of the area after British
withdrawal.
absence of the British which will
Persia and
of his fellow Sheikhs but also of
Saudi
Arabia, the two most powerful
the many overtures now being be the catalyst bringing action.
countries of the region, have given
received from outside. On only That action is likely to be far
it their blessing. Even Egypt has
one point are the Sheikhs united: short of what Britain had hoped
spared an occasional word of en.
they would all like Britain to retain
couragement for the idea, and only
a military presence, though not all - for. All the signs are that Bahrein
of them have the same reason.
the people most directly concerned
will decide to“ go it alone” and
once that happens all prospects of
have prevented it.
Sheikh Khalid, here in Sharjah
for instance, is most concerned
a federation of nine States must
about the £400,000 Britain pays
The largest
disappear.
him each year in rent for the base
A Bahreini announcement that
The original plan was for the
and payment for water supplies.
it was to become an independent
seven Trucial States to join with
In Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zeid con
State, a member of the Arab
Bahrein and Qatar to unite all the
siders Britain's presence a protec
League and the United Nations,
Sheikhdoms of the Gulf. Meeting
tion against Saudi Arabia, since
would quickly be echoed by Qatar.
after meeting was held, and though
King Faisal has recently revived
Then, the remaining seven States
most ended at best inconclusively
his long-standing claim to the
could form a union which would
and worst acrimoniously, gradually Buraimi Oasis. The " village sheikh
be geographically neater than if
points of agreement were found. doms"-Ajman, Umm al Qawain,
Qatar and Bahrein took part.
Bahrein, the largest and most Fujairah and Ras al Khaimah
But geography is not enough:
developed State, seemed genuinely see a British presence as a guaran
the personalities of the Rulers
anxious to give its support. But tee of their continued indepen
would become the crucial issue,
that was hefore the Shah of Persia dence, and no matter how often
and Sheikh Rashid of Dubai, who
renounced his claim to Bahrein as Sir William Luce visits these
runs his small but prospering State
part of his territory. With that Sheikhs they will not believe in
as a successful and expanding
company, would never consent to
threat hanging over it, Bahrein was the British withdrawal as long as
all for federation. But once Persia they see British troops. .
a union with Abu Dhabi. In Sheikh
Rashid's view, joining Abu Dhabi,
recognised Bahrein as an independ.
One of the most difficult prob.
ent Arab State Sheikh Isa and his
which has an income of about £85
lems is the future of the Trucial
Government became much more
million a year, would be like
Oman Scouts, the British-led force
British-led force stepping down from the chairman demanding in their dealings with which for years has been the ship of a prosperous middle-rank
their eight neighbours.
impartial policeman of Trucial
company to become a manager in
Oman. The Scouts, now about a giant conglomerate.
